Chapter 235: Successful Reconciliation

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A shock like being struck in the head.

[…No, that… It’s not related to me… It’s for a novel…! I’m writing a novel and needed more realistic descriptions—]

“First… first, call the infirmary. In the meantime, wash up a little and put on some clothes… Is that Leon’s room?”

[…Yeah.]

As Sugar and Riley quickly prepared to leave and went to check the room, the moment they opened the door, a thick, pungent smell assaulted their noses.

The heavy, fishy scent of sex.

Having experienced it themselves, they knew. But smelling another couple’s aftermath was rough. At least Ianne had opened the window and was cleaning up, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

One of the involved parties had already been taken to the infirmary. The excuse given was, “We didn’t hear from them, so we went in and found them like this.” The diagnosis was temporary shock from dehydration.

Later, the question “Just how much did she wring out the Prophet to make him pass out!?” became a quietly circulating topic among the group.

.

.

.

“…”

“…”

Sugar’s room. There weren’t many places to have this kind of awkward conversation, so they ended up here. The atmosphere was stiff.

Riley had discreetly stepped aside to let them talk comfortably among themselves, but even between women, there was an odd tension.

“…”

“…”

“…Ianne.”

“…Yeah.”

“Hydration is essential.”

“…”

“Make sure to keep a water bottle on the bedside table.”

Sugar spoke first, and Ianne nodded quietly, her cheeks too red to say anything.

Her skin still carried a damp sheen from a recent shower. Her hair was hastily tied up, her clothes thrown on haphazardly—anyone else might’ve thought, “Her Holiness must be tired,” but Sugar knew the real reason.

Hmm.

Riley’s really considerate, huh?

Even in the middle of things, he never forgot to make sure Sugar drank water.

Last night had been the same. When Sugar was lost in pleasure, thrashing mindlessly, her partner would pause, kiss her, and carefully feed her water like a mother bird tending to her chick—

Sugar’s face burned red.

Wait, but that means… while we were going at it, she was too…?

This is insane.

Is this even allowed? She’s the Saintess, isn’t she? She’s not even married—can she really do this?

Sugar, who had no room to judge, decided to ask a slightly different question instead.

“So… how much did you do to make him pass out?”

“…I don’t know. I can’t remember…”

“Well… you can estimate based on how many condoms you used.”

“We didn’t use any…”

“Huh?”

“…”

“Seriously…?”

—Nod nod.

Sugar clutched her head.

“Who are you…? You’re not my Ianne… My Ianne isn’t that promiscuous…”

“…Maybe I was influenced by you a little.”

“Lies! Don’t wag that wicked tongue, succubus…! There’s no way I’m that wild either! Reveal your true identity, you wicked witch—!”

Her chest was yanked.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow! That hurts! At least do it with some affection…!”

Freed at last, she sniffled and rubbed her sore breasts.

They were already sensitive from being handled so much last night. Her partner, noticing her insecurity, had lavished extra attention on them—thoroughly, stickily, obsessively.

Wait, breasts?

Sugar hurriedly glanced at Ianne’s chest. Though bound in bandages now, surely she’d let them loose last night? Surely she’d swayed that flawless skin, intentionally or not, seducing her partner?

“Ianne, this is purely out of curiosity…”

“What are you about to ask…?”

“Did you, uh… use them too…?”

“…”

Ianne silently covered her chest and looked away—which was answer enough.

Sugar immediately groped her own, mentally comparing them to Riley’s size.

Damn it… damn it…

She suddenly hated the world.

She downed a glass of cold water in one go.

“But Ianne… be honest. Who initiated it?”

Setting aside her own thoughts, she focused on the woman in front of her. She already knew the answer but asked out of courtesy.

“…Me.”

“No… Ianne. This must’ve been your first time, right? But you made a man… dehydrate… What kind of stamina…?”

“I-I didn’t know because it was my first time…! I-I was fine, so I thought he’d be fine too… Next time, I won’t go that far… Probably…”

“Wow… and here you were scolding me for being promiscuous…”

She’s the one who wrung a man dry until he passed out—and without a condom?!

“You’re a complete beast! No matter how I think about it, you’re not Ianne! Reveal your true identity, you lewd succubus – ow, ow that hurts!”

Though she said it jokingly, the shock was still considerable.

Sugar had taken things step by step herself. Even she had followed a gradual progression before going all the way.

But for someone who always knew where to draw the line to suddenly do something like this… Did she really have that much pent-up frustration toward Leon?

“Ugh… Anyway… Don’t call me ‘Lewd Sugar’ from now on. Seriously… If Ione finds out, the Holy City will turn upside down…”

Grumbling like that, Ianne pressed her lips together, at a loss for words.

“…But I don’t regret it.”

After a long pause, those words slipped out, and Sugar nodded in agreement.

There was nothing happier than being connected to the man she loved.

“Well… At least you made up, right?”

In response, Ianne smiled shyly.

***************

Suddenly, he dreamed.

A dream of his mother. She simply hugged him, repeating that it was okay, as if she already knew everything—the love he felt now, the guilt that came with it.

Leon couldn’t do anything. He wanted to say something, but his throat tightened, and no words came out.

I’m a pathetic, worthless human. I was so blinded by love that I neglected my feelings for you. I couldn’t even tend to that love properly. I’ll never be a hero.

And that day. That distant day when everything fell apart.

From then on, he had wanted to apologize to her, over and over—

It’s okay, my son.

Her hand patted his back as if she already knew, and tears dripped down his cheeks.

He cried and cried, tossing and turning in his damp, cotton-like body. When he finally came to his senses, his friends were in the hospital room.

This was reality now. Not a dream, but reality.

Struggling to sit up, he saw one friend looking deeply concerned, while the other two wore expressions beyond description. It made sense. He was mortified they had seen him in such a state.

“Leon… Are you… okay?”

Ianne’s hesitant voice reached him.

“…Yes. I’m fine. I’ll just consider it a trial from not communicating properly. For the sake of a certain someone’s honor, I’d appreciate it if no one mentioned why I’m in this hospital bed.”

“A trial…”

Not entirely wrong.

Sugar nodded subtly in agreement.

“But… I’d like to take this chance to say something to Ianne. It’s sudden, but please hear me out.”

“Huh? Should we… step out?”

“No, I’d like you both to stay. Please.”

As Sugar and Riley pretended to leave, Leon stopped them.

“What do you want to talk about…?”

“My childhood.”

His childhood.

Leon’s younger days.

A silent understanding passed between them as they closed their mouths.

Leon took a sip from the cup on the bedside table, wetting his throat.

Then, he began.

“That day… was my 12th birthday.”

Twelve years old. The year their lives changed drastically.

At the start of the year, Sugar and Riley escaped from the cult’s altar.

Later, they went to the Holy City and became friends with Ianne, who was two years older.

And by the year’s end… Leon’s mother had broken.

Now, that story was about to be told.

“To give some context… I only had my mother growing up. We weren’t well-off. My father left a small inheritance, but we still had to live frugally. Of course, we never starved… and that was all thanks to my mother and the kindness of the village elders.”

“…”

“But I didn’t understand that. On my birthday, I threw a tantrum in the morning, asking why we didn’t have cake. ‘Everyone else gets to eat it, why not me?’”

Even someone as composed as him had thrown childish fits. It felt strange to imagine.

“My mother scolded me sternly. ‘What kind of luxury is this in our situation?’ I got upset and ran away from home. Pathetic, right? What was a kid like me going to do alone…?”

“…”

“I spent half the day in the mountains, and by evening, I was hungry and exhausted. So I went back—but I was still stubborn and didn’t go straight inside. There was a small gap in the shed next to our house, too narrow for adults to enter. I crawled in there… and before I knew it, I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was midnight. The night air was chilly, so I finally went inside. But then…”

Leon exhaled.

“There was a cake on the table.”

His expression twisted with sorrow.

“My mother had prepared it in secret. To make her son happy… as a surprise…”

“…”

“I immediately looked for her. I wanted to apologize, to thank her, so I rushed around the house. But… she wasn’t anywhere. She didn’t come back even as the night grew late. Not the next day, or the day after that. Until the uneaten cake turned dry and stale.”

Finally, the story reached its conclusion.

“I saw her again months later.”

“…”

“The white-clad paladins were terrifying.”

“…”

“And the mother they brought back……”

The protagonist of this story trailed off, running a hand over his forehead.

His lips trembled slightly before he continued calmly.

“On my birthday, she wandered the mountains searching for me until late at night… and became the target of that beast worse than an animal.”

No one spoke.

“By the time the knights raided the lab, its owner had already fled, leaving only the test subjects behind. I cursed that bastard. I resented the paladins who failed to save my mother before she became… this.”

Quietly.

“‘Was this my punishment for throwing a tantrum over a cake?’ I cursed the Saint in the heavens.”

They listened silently.

“No one hates me more than I hate myself. It’s my fault she ended up like this. I set the stage for it. I screamed, cursed, and raged—blaming the world, blaming myself, wishing everything would just rot—”

Leon stopped abruptly, breathing heavily. He steadied himself and looked at the three of them.

“…As I’ve said before, I no longer resent the Church or the world.”

Like blaming the gods when tragedy strikes, like pointing fingers—he’d just wanted someone, anyone, to pin his guilt on. For a child like Leon, that was the only way to endure the grief.

“That’s the end of the story.”

“…”

“I’d never told anyone how my mother… ended up that way. I thought you should hear it first. It explains things.”

“Explains what…?”

“Why I couldn’t step forward with confidence.”

When Ianne pressed gently, Leon answered.

“I was supposed to live only for my mother’s sake. But then you… stole my heart. The guilt paralyzed me. I’m sorry for frustrating you all this time.”

“I… get it. I understand. But feeling guilty to that extent—”

“…Once the Saint’s Water is complete.”

“Saint’s Water?”

“I thought… maybe I could do something for you with it.”

He clenched his fist, confessing the desire that felt like betraying his mother—and the friends who had stood by him.

“…Why would you think that?”

“The difference in status is too vast. How could a commoner like me dare to covet someone like you…?”

“Status doesn’t matter.”

“How can it not? It’s absurd.”

“Then what about last night?”

“H-Hey! You were the one who tied me up and started it…!”

The shocking remark made Sugar and Riley’s jaws drop.

“L-Let’s set that aside…” Ianne quickly deflected.

“Listen, Leon. Even the Saint descended from the heavens to love a woman of this earth—my ancestors. Are you calling that absurd too?”

“That’s… different.”

Saintess Dalia—the Saint’s wife, mother of the first Saintess. A humble woman with no extraordinary gifts.

“It’s not. The Saint proved that love transcends status or birthright. And… the Church elders would rejoice. A child of the Saintess and the Prophet? They’d welcome it with open arms.”

“I’m only called ‘Prophet’ out of courtesy, I’m hardly—Mmph!”

Ianne silenced him—not with her hand, but her lips.

“Kyaaa!”

Sugar shrieked and covered her eyes.

How scandalous! In front of everyone!

Riley dragged the squealing Sugar out of the room by her collar.

When Ianne finally pulled away, she met Leon’s gaze.

“Phew… You overthink too much.”

“…”

“You like me. You want to be with me. So be with me.”

“…”

“I’ll soothe your guilt and grief. So stop hurting alone.”

She kissed him again, briefly.

“And… I owe uou responsibility, remember?”

“That’s…”

Leon sighed.

“I never knew this side of you. I thought you were more… reserved.”

“Disappointed?”

“…”

After a pause, he answered.

“No.”

“Hehe…”

They held each other’s gaze—one pair of eyes melancholic and dark, the other mysterious and violet. Their glances tangled, then vanished behind lowered eyelids.

Their lips met again, sweet as lovers’ ought to be.

This time, Leon initiated it—a vow to become someone worthy of her.

I can’t resist you. You ignore all boundaries and leave me defenseless.

Then what choice do I have? I’ll become someone who can stand by your side.

So… I’ll try.

Wow… Wooooow…

Peeking through the door crack, a white-haired girl’s eyes sparkled as she watched the two lovers.

Translator Note

hmmmmm… hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… I still think this could have been handled much better…